Marketing and Merchandising for Fashion
The global fashion industry relies on marketing and merchandising professionals who have an eye for style and a brain for business. If you're ready to combine your joint passions for fashion and marketing, VCAD's Marketing and Merchandising for Fashion diploma program is for you.
The Marketing and Merchandising for Fashion program introduces students to the foundations of the fashion industry, including design theory, retailing, industry-standard software marketing, event promotions, displays and merchandising.
Graduates of this program will build a portfolio of work and will be prepared to apply for fashion jobs in areas like public relations, marketing, merchandising, retailing, event and promotions planning, or as a fashion writer.
Upon successful completion of this program, you will be able to:
- Illustrate fashion designs.
- Demonstrate an understanding of fashion history and its influence on modern designers.
- Deconstruct garments and finishing techniques.
- Classify types of apparel and target markets.
- Describe development and production life cycles of textiles and apparel.
- Clearly articulate sales and advertising plans using industry standard tools to generate competitive analysis.
- Demonstrate the role of niche markets, target marketing, and market segmentation.
- Plan effective placement of sales product.
- Demonstrate the role of branding and private labels in generating sales.
- Describe the role of costing and merchandise management on ROI.
- Define retailing and the steps in planning for meeting ROI.
- Write, present, and critique plans and proposals.
This program is 60 weeks in length.
Job Opportunities
- Fashion Merchandising
- Buying
- Public Relations
- Retail Management
- Marketing
- Event Promotions
- Publicity
- Visual Display
- Assistant Store Manager
- Fashion Writer
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Program Courses
The program outline below is for British Columbia.
Term1
| Code | Course Name | Hours |
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- In this course, students will be introduced to the multifaceted aspects of the Canadian fashion retailing industry, including types of retailers, retail organization, fashion consumers, merchandise management and retail promotion. Each of these topics will be further explored in courses taken later in the program.
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- The purpose of this course is to introduce the students to the fundamental principles of design and colour theory. Students will be introduced to the principle concepts of design such as layout, composition and balance, as well as the theories of color and how to use colour creatively. These concepts will be presented in theory as well as reinforced through specific practical exercises and activities that will serve to demonstrate how each of the concepts is integrated into good design.
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- Fashion Marketing is defined as more than just “selling”: it is creating in the consumer the need and want to purchase fashion goods using a strategy of correct pricing and placement of goods, product offerings and promotional techniques targeted to the correct marketing segment. In this course, students are introduced to basic fashion marketing principles.
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- This course introduces students to the popular image-editing software Adobe Photoshop. The main objective of this course is to teach the student graphical image production using Adobe Photoshop. Through this hands-on course, students will learn the fundamentals of design, as well as advanced features and tips, to prepare images for the web and for print. By the end of this course, students will be able to create and enhance sophisticated images using Adobe Photoshop's tools and features. Students will learn how to correct and modify print as well as web images using various techniques and organizational tools.
Term2
| Code | Course Name | Hours |
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- Costume history is the history of fashion – trends, design influences, fabrications, style changes and developments, evolving technical elements and terminology of fashion. An overview understanding of fashion history and the place it holds in modern times is vital in the marketing and merchandising of current fashion apparel and accessories.
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- Fashion illustration is vital in the product development and marketing of apparel and accessories. Illustration represents the product visually: it is a form of stylized drawing that communicates not only an artistic representation but also a sense of style. In this course, students will learn the basics of this fashion art form.
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- This course introduces the fashion marketing and merchandising student to various print-based media and how to develop the skills to write promotional as well as reporting material for fashion. The skills learned in this course will be further developed in coursework taken later in the program.
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- In this course students will learn the basic Adobe Illustrator concepts and tools necessary to begin now and further develop in later courses technical packages in fashion such as technical drawings, retail floor plans, promotional materials, catalogues.
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- Students will explore both natural and synthetic fibers, their primary and secondary characteristics and properties, how fibers become fabrics, fabric names and usages, care, labeling, life and handling. Yarn production, weaves, knits, printing, dyes, and the new technologies in fiber production are examined. Trends in fabrication in the 21st Century are emphasized.
Term3
| Code | Course Name | Hours |
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- This course explores the consumer buying process and the fashion industry: consumer behavior, internal and external factors influencing fashion consumers and consumer buying decisions.
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- Fashion forecasting is a process that includes knowledge of changing colours and styles, lifestyles and consumer buying patterns, and varying methods of retailing merchandise. Students will learn the components of fashion forecasting and how this affects decision making in the apparel industry.
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- Public Relations (PR) is the management and marketing function that links the fashion business with the buying public. Publicity is a communication method that tells the public about an apparel line, an emerging designer, a service, event or idea. In this course, students will develop skills needed to generate effective PR in fashion.
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- In this course, students will learn mathematical concepts and procedures and how they are applied to achieve profitable fashion retail merchandising.
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- Visual display and merchandising is the artistic staging that makes the shopper stop, look and buy. All promotional marketing ends up with this point of sale display of merchandise, therefore knowledge is vital to any student entering the merchandising or marketing retail environment.
Term4
| Code | Course Name | Hours |
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- This course introduces students to brand development and brand management within the fashion industry. The course will look at how brands are created, and how brand perception can be altered. Basic principles and techniques of branding will be addressed, such as: logos, colour, semiotics, retail spaces, web presence, promotion and marketing, product development, brand alliances and language. Students will learn to identify a successful branding strategy, and will propose a new branding strategy to an existing brand.
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- Fashion is an industry that involves teamwork and working with a diverse group of people, therefore effective communication skills are essential. This course focuses on written, verbal, and non-verbal communication skills as they apply to new media, resume writing, interview skills, customer service, the workplace, ethical and social responsibilities, and conflict resolution.
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- Buying involves complex decision making, which involves fashion forecasting, consumer buying trends, vendor selection and negotiation, pricing, sales, inventory record-keeping and ordering. This course introduces students to retail buying and the role of the buyer who makes daily merchandising decisions.
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- Fashion shows are produced to sell merchandise! They are one of the most visual forms of promotion, making a statement to consumers at all levels from the retailers, buyers, manufacturers, and designers down to the fashion forward customer. In this course, students learn to plan and execute a fashion show as a promotional tool.
Term5A
| Code | Course Name | Hours |
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- Fashion design students will gain knowledge of ready-to-wear apparel production: critical paths, quality control, mass production techniques, garment sequencing, assembly and costing. Private labels and branding are also examined.
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- The term "24/7" is a fashion business buzzword and e-business is a vital method to satisfy this consumer need. This course focuses on the product, its placement, pricing, promotion and how the consumer operates in the world of online retailing.
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- Fashion stylists are responsible for organizing and preparing people, and assembling accessories and garments worn by models at a photo shoot. In creating “the look”, stylists must be up-to-date in all aspects of fashion forecasting. In this course, students will learn what is involved in fashion styling, turning theory into practice while working on a real-life photo shoot and magazine spread, which will become a portfolio piece.
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- In this course students will examine, from a Canadian perspective, the movement of goods into the international marketplace, with a focus on understanding the legal, political, socioeconomic and cultural aspects, as well as the development of a marketing campaign.
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- In this course, students will first develop a professional fashion portfolio demonstrating their skills in fashion marketing or merchandising. Students will learn how to find and secure a fashion internship during the final six weeks of the course at a fashion work site.
Term5B
| Code | Course Name | Hours |
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- While fashion is a fast-changing industry, what is constant is the demand for skilled and knowledgeable retail people and managers who have the ability to adjust to this fast-paced industry. In this course students will focus on the real-world essentials of management as they apply within the modern retail environment.
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- Fashion stylists are responsible for organizing and preparing people, and assembling accessories and garments worn by models at a photo shoot. In creating “the look”, stylists must be up-to-date in all aspects of fashion forecasting. In this course, students will learn what is involved in fashion styling, turning theory into practice while working on a real-life photo shoot and magazine spread, which will become a portfolio piece.
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- In this course, students will first develop a professional fashion portfolio demonstrating their skills in fashion marketing or merchandising. Students will learn how to find and secure a fashion internship during the final six weeks of the course at a fashion work site.
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- Store planning and layouts can transform the retail experience, whether it is a department store, a high end fashion house or a local boutique. Correct store positioning, interior design for merchandise assortments, and exterior design, as well as staffing, help to attract customers and generate sales. In this course students will develop a theoretical and practical knowledge of store layouts, planning and design.